Apparatus for foaming a liquid milk composition

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for producing a foamed liquid milk composition including a disposable container with a single dose of the composition which, upon agitation of the container, is aerated, wherein the composition includes milk having a fat content of 0%˜4%, a protein, an edible natural gum, and optionally, an additive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus for foaming a liquid milkcomposition and a foamable liquid milk composition for use with theapparatus. More particularly this invention relates to an apparatus forthe production of single dose of a foamed milk product for use in abeverage including water or as a ready to drink product.

The use of foam in beverages, particularly in cappuccinos and the like,is widely known. Consumers often prefer these foamed beverages toregular coffee. A wide variety of devices are known for foaming milk.These devices generally make use of a rod and a foaming element which auser actuates relative to a container in which milk is housed in orderto foam the milk. Alternatively, electronic devices are used.

A survey of the prior art shows that in a broad context the foaming of amilk composition has been addressed whether by concentrating on theingredients in the composition, or on the construction and dimensions ofa container which is used for the purpose

For example, EP 1354544 discloses a container having a liquid reservoirfor holding foamable liquid, a foam generating member for generatingfoam and a separate foam chamber which delivers one portion of foamthrough an opening. A drawback of the container described in EP 1354544is that the construction is complex and therefore expensive to produce.Furthermore, the container is bulky and is designed for repeated use andis therefore not conveniently sized for use at various locations. Thisdocument also refers to a device in U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,704 whichrequires vigorous and prolonged shaking. This degree of mechanicalaction can detract from ease of use.

A need exists for a foaming device that is convenient and compact,inexpensive and easy to use and which can rapidly provide enough foamfor a single beverage with a minimum amount of effort. Additionally, atendency for the foam to “stick” to the device should be minimized sothat usage of the foam is facilitated.

An object of the invention is to address, at least partially, theaforementioned requirement.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention provides, in the first instance, an apparatus forproducing a foamed milk composition including a disposable containerwith an inner surface, an internal volume inside the container which isbounded by the inner surface, an opening to the volume, a single dose ofa liquid milk composition inside the internal volume and a seal to sealthe liquid milk composition inside the internal volume, wherein, uponagitation of the container, the liquid milk composition is aerated,causing the liquid milk composition to foam, the seal then beingactuable to allow the foamed composition to be discharged from thecontainer, wherein the container includes within, or exposed to, thevolume at least one foam enhancing formation, and the compositionincludes, at least, milk having a fat content of 0%-4%, a protein, anedible natural gum, and optionally, at least one additive.

The foam enhancing formation may be provided in any suitable way. By wayof example the foam enhancing formation may be provided by forming thebody so that at least one region of the inner surface has a reducedcross-section area e.g. with an hour glass shape or with a plurality ofinwardly projecting formations, or at least one foaming element exposedin the internal volume in which the liquid milk composition is housed sothat upon agitation of the container, the liquid milk composition isrepeatedly brought into contact with the foaming element, causing theliquid milk composition to foam.

The foam-enhancing formation may be a sieve or screen bounding at leastpart of the volume, or an agitating ball formed from wire or plastic,which is movable in the volume, through the composition, when thecontainer is shaken.

The container may have a body which is formed from any suitabledisposable material e.g. plastic, glass or a liquid-impervious paper.

The inner surface of the container may include a coat or film having alow coefficient of friction i.e. lower than the inner surface of thebody of the container in order to facilitate the dispensing of thefoamed milk composition from the container.

The milk may be treated using UHT treatment, HTST treatment, retort,autoclave sterilisation or the like in order to ensure that it has along shelf life. Additionally or alternatively the milk may be treatedwith any suitable preservative.

The protein may be selected from the group containing rice protein, soyprotein, whey protein, hydrolysed wheat protein or casein.

The edible natural gum may be selected from the group containing guargum, alginate, carob gum and carrageenan. Preferably the alginate issodium alginate.

The composition may include an additive of any suitable kind and mayinclude one or more of a flavourant, an alcohol, a colourant, an acidmodifier, a vitamin or a stimulant.

The flavourant may include chocolate, vanilla, mocha, cocoa, almond,honey, coffee, cherry or rum. This is not limiting.

The alcohol may be of any suitable kind e.g. whisky, rum, a liqueur.

The stimulant may be of any suitable kind e.g. caffeine or an energysupplement. The invention is not limited in this respect. Preferably thecaffeine is in the form of liquid coffee.

The acid modifier may be selected from the group containing aspartame,alginic acid, sorbitol and mannitol.

The vitamin may be of any suitable kind e.g. vitamin B12. This is notlimiting.

The liquid milk composition may also contain up to 20% cream having afat content of between 20%-60%.

The liquid milk composition is present in a quantity which is sufficientto produce enough foam for a single beverage. In one embodiment of theinvention, a single dose of a liquid milk composition comprises between50 ml-250 ml of low fat or skimmed milk having a milk fat contentbetween 0%-4%, 0.01 g-5 g protein, 0.01 g-1 g natural gum andoptionally, at least one additive.

In use, the liquid milk composition may be foamed through any suitableaerating means e.g. whisking, shaking. This is not limiting.

It has been found that the effective and rapid foaming of the milkcomposition is readily achieved if the ratio R of the volume of thecomposition to the size of the inner volume of the container is20%<R<100%. Thus the volume of the composition may be from 50 ml to 250ml according to intended use and the inner volume of the container maybe in the range of 100 ml to 500 ml. By way of example only, typical,suitable volumes for a milk or coffee concentrated composition are 60 mlof composition which is aerated in a container with an inner volume of120 ml i.e. R=50%. The foam composition is then added to 150 ml of waterresulting in 180 ml of a coffee drink with about 90 ml of foam.

Experimentation has shown that, preferably, 50%<R<80%. In anotherembodiment, a suitable volume for a foamed beverage to be consumeddirectly i.e. ready to drink includes 200 ml of composition and an innervolume of 330 ml i.e. R=60.6%.

The seal may be formed from any suitable liquid-impervious material e.g.plastic or paper, in an alternative embodiment of the invention the sealis in the form of a screw cap which is threadedly engaged with thecontainer, overlying the opening. In another embodiment, the seal isintegrally formed with the container and is movable, as required,relative thereto to seal, or open, the container.

The apparatus may be heated in a microwave oven prior to, or after,agitation, in order to produce a warm foam.

THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to one embodimentthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an apparatus 10 according tothe invention which includes a container 12 having a body 14, an opening16, an inner surface 18 of the body and an inner volume 20, as shown inFIG. 2.

A foam-enhancing element 22 (shown in FIG. 2 as a sieve), bounds atleast part of the inner volume 20 of the body. A single dose of a liquidmilk composition 24 fills at least part of the inner volume 20. Afluid-impervious seal 26 e.g. made from plastic, is removably engagedwith the body 14 such that it bounds the opening 16.

The container 12 is disposable and it is therefore important that thebody 14, foam-enhancing element 22 and seal 26 are formed from alight-weight disposable and inexpensive material. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, the container is formed from blow mouldedor vacuum formed plastic. Alternatively the container may be formed froma water-impervious paper material. In another embodiment, the containeris formed from a recyclable material e.g. glass.

The foam-enhancing formation, in one embodiment, comprises an innersurface which is shaped to be foam enhancing e.g. with an hour glassshape (as shown in FIG. 1) or with a plurality of inwardly projectingformations 28 (see FIG. 1). The foam enhancing formation also includesthe foaming element (the sieve) 22 in the internal volume to which theliquid milk composition is housed so that upon agitation of thecontainer, the liquid milk composition is repeatedly brought intocontact with the foaming element, further causing the liquid milkcomposition to foam.

It has been found that the discharge of the foamed milk composition fromthe container can be facilitated by lowering the coefficient of frictionof the inner surface 18 of the body. In this regard the inner surfacehas, applied to it, a coat or film 18A having a low coefficient offiction i.e. lower than the inner surface 18 of the body in order tofacilitate the dispensing of the foamed milk composition from thecontainer. This use of the low to friction coat 18A is useful if thebody is formed by a blow moulding technique for the surface 18 wouldthen, normally, be fairly rough

Alternatively the container is formed from a material e.g. glass whichinherently has a low coefficient of friction—this allows the use of thefilm to be avoided.

The foaming formations (i.e. the element 22 and the hour-glass shape)act to aerate the milk composition 24 when shaken. In the illustratedembodiment the element is in the form of a grid or sieve havingapertures through which the liquid can pass when the container isagitated. The sieve bounds at least part of the inner volume 20 toensure that a maximum volume of the liquid flows through the apertures.The sieve is engaged with the internal surface of the body 14 with afriction fit to ensure that it remains in position during agitation ofthe container 12. Alternatively, the sieve is integral with the body.

Preferably the foaming element 22 is positioned in a lower 20% of theinner volume 20 of the body 14 as indicated by a line A in FIG. 2. Thisensures that the flow of the foam produced from the liquid milkcomposition 24 is not obstructed when the foam is dispensed from thecontainer 12.

In one embodiment the seal 26 is formed from a plastic or papermaterial. The seal extends across the opening 16 such that it forms aleak prow seal.

In another embodiment of the invention the seal is in the form of ascrew cap (not shown) that is threadedly engaged with an outer surfaceof the body 14 of the container 12.

According to one aspect of the present invention the liquid milkcomposition comprises from 50% to 80% by volume of the internal volumeof the container, preferably about 60%. This allows the liquid milkcomposition to fill a part of the internal volume to the extent thatthere is a sufficiently large volume of air inside the container suchthat when the container is agitated, the liquid milk composition isaerated producing a foamed beverage. For example if the volume ofcontainer is in the range of 100 ml to 500 ml, the ratio R of the volumeof the composition to the size of the inner volume of the container is20%<R<100%. More preferably, the ratio is 50%<R<80%.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid milk compositionhas a volume of between 50 ml to 200 ml. in this embodiment, the liquidmilk composition also includes a stimulant e.g. liquid coffee. Thisliquid milk composition may optionally include one or more additivese.g. a flavourant such as vanilla or chocolate.

The aforementioned dimensions ensure that the container is compactenough to be carried in a bag, purse or the like for use by a consumer,whilst still ensuring there is enough volume in the container to allowthe liquid milk composition to flow freely upon agitation of thecontainer. The disposable nature of the container also makes itconvenient, as a user thereof does not have to carry the apparatusaround after use.

The milk composition, used in conjunction with the apparatus, ensuresthat a maximum amount of foam is produced. In particular, the additionof the protein increases the ease of formation of the foam and alsoincreases the foam stability. In a preferred embodiment, a single doseof the milk composition includes 0.01 g-5 g protein. The edible naturalgum increases the viscosity of the foam and also acts as a stabilizer.Preferably, 0.01 g-1 g of natural gum is used in a single dose of milkcomposition.

It is envisioned that the apparatus will be sold to consumers as apre-packaged composition in various flavours according to a user'sspecific taste.

In use, a user agitates the apparatus 10, causing the liquid milkcomposition to repeatedly contact the foaming element, thereby aeratingit and producing a single dose of foam for consumption as a ready todrink product or for use with one beverage. The seal is then removed andthe foam is poured from the opening for immediate consumption or intothe beverage. Once the foam has been dispensed from the container, theapparatus is thrown away.

The container and its contents can be heated prior to or after agitationto produce a warm foamed beverage.

The container may be constructed from a suitable material so that withits contents it can be heated in a microwave oven, or by immersion intoboiling water (for example), without adversely affecting the container.In an alternative embodiment, the container is constructed from asuitable material so that with its contents it can be chilled e.g. in afreezer or the like to produce an iced beverage, without damage to thecontents.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. An apparatus for producing a single dose of afoamed liquid milk composition including a disposable container with aninner surface, an internal volume inside the container which is boundedby an inner surface, an opening to the internal volume, a single dose ofa liquid milk composition inside the internal volume and a seal to sealthe liquid milk composition inside the internal volume, wherein, uponagitation of the container, the liquid milk composition is aerated,causing the liquid milk composition to foam, the seal then beingactuable to allow the foamed composition to be discharged from thecontainer, wherein the container includes within, or exposed to, thevolume at least one foam enhancing formation, and the compositionincludes, at least, milk having a fat content of 0%-4%, a protein, anedible natural gum, and at least one additive, wherein the additiveincludes one or more of a flavourant, an alcohol, a colourant, an acidmodifier, a vitamin and a stimulant.
 21. An apparatus according to claim20 wherein the flavourant is selected from the group containingchocolate, cherry, vanilla, mocha, cocoa, almond, honey, coffee and rum.22. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the stimulant is liquidcoffee.
 23. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the containerincludes, applied to an inner surface of the body, a coat or film of amaterial having a coefficient of friction lower than the inner surfaceof the body.
 24. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the foamenhancing formation includes at least one foaming element housed withinthe volume, wherein the foaming element is a sieve or screen andwherein, upon agitation of the container, the liquid milk composition isrepeatedly brought into contact with the foaming element, causing theliquid milk composition to foam.
 25. An apparatus according to claim 21wherein the foam enhancing formation includes at least one foamingelement housed within the volume, wherein the foaming element is a sieveor screen and wherein, upon agitation of the container, the liquid milkcomposition is repeatedly brought into contact with the foaming element,causing the liquid milk composition to foam.
 26. An apparatus accordingto claim 22 wherein the foam enhancing formation includes at least onefoaming element housed within the volume, wherein the foaming element isa sieve or screen and wherein, upon agitation of the container, theliquid milk composition is repeatedly brought into contact with thefoaming element, causing the liquid milk composition to foam.
 27. Anapparatus according to claim 23 wherein the foam enhancing formationincludes at least one foaming element housed within the volume, whereinthe foaming element is a sieve or screen and wherein, upon agitation ofthe container, the liquid milk composition is repeatedly brought intocontact with the foaming element, causing the liquid milk composition tofoam.